MEME, finally getting to it

The lovely Queen tagged me last weekend while I was at Rhinebeck, and since I don't have pictures to post of my finished items (yes, there are a couple, and they'll probably appear in the next day or so), I will go ahead with the meme.

10 years ago: It wasn't a really exciting time - we were spending a lot of time with family as all of the nieces were under ten, in fact, the youngest of the six had just turned one. My job situation was okay but not great, and I had started putting out feelers with other companies (I left about 6 months later for the company I am now with, and it was a great decision). I was doing knitting and cross-stitching, and had joined a couple of book groups that I really enjoyed, one virtual, one face-to-face. I had lost 25 pounds in the first half of the year, so was enjoying being very thin (that lasted about 3 years, then I settled into pretty much the weight I am now, which is okay but should be 10 pounds less).

5 years ago: We were farm-shopping! Adam's mom had died after a long bout with cancer and emphysema, and we decided to use the small inheritance as a down payment on property to move to when we retire. We found a farm with house, barn, and outbuildings, on a hilltop off a gravel road that's 14 miles from the nearest small town. My grandfather had died earlier in the year, but my grandmother was doing okay.

1 year ago: I had found spinning and more fiber pursuits during these 4 years, and had met a wonderful group of friends through this. My first Rhinebeck as a Booth Babe for Jen was just past, and I had my new Norman Hall wheel - very exciting! We had acquired a condo in Houston, planning for retirement winters in the not-too-distant future. Very, very busy at work, but still having a good time.

5 snacks:
-cheese and crackers - sharp cheddar and other strongly flavored cheeses are best
-baked sour cream and cheddar potato chips
-almond, pecan, filbert and dried cranberry mix
-guacamole and anything to dip into it
-dried unsweetened mango slices

5 songs I know all the words to:
Well, according to my nieces I know the words to all of the songs ever played on the radio, so here are some that are a little less well-known that I can surprise them and sing-
-Land of the Empire Builders (Oregon state song)
-Ballad of New Orleans (I had to sing this in Geography class in 8th grade, but got an A and skipped writing a paper because of the singing)
-Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi from La Boheme (Betsy-Tacy book readers will understand why I learned the words to this specific song from one of my favorite operas)
-Oh Holy Night in the original French
-Come onna my House, a la Rosemary Clooney - just for fun

5 Things I’d do with $100 million:
-Rent a really big yacht (20-30 passenger) and sail around the world, stopping to see whatever appealed, and picking up and dropping off friends who could come along for a week, or two, or longer
-Pay off mortgages and debts for my family and close friends
-Fund a charitable foundation
-Set up college funds for the kids in our families
-Make a standing appointment with a hairdresser so that I would never have to wash or dry my own hair again, I love having someone else wash my hair, and really hate holding a blow-dryer for as long as it takes to dry it.

5 places to run away to:
my farm
London
northern New England
Ojo Caliente, NM
Scotland or Ireland

5 things I would never wear:
-Baby-doll anything - pj's, tops, or even a costume
-stiletto heels
-business suit without stockings (yuck, I can't imagine what my feet would feel like in pumps at the end of a day! )
-skin-tight low-rise pants
-midrifff-baring top

5 favorite TV shows:
West Wing
Firefly
The Amazing Race
CSI
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer

5 (among my) biggest joys:
Reading
My friends and family, esp. DH
Fiber stuff
Sunsets and sunrises
A great cup of coffee

5 favorite toys:
knitting needles
spinning wheel(s)
drum carder
dye pot
Ipod

5 people to pass this on to: None, because I don't usually pass on these kind of things (I don't like to put undue pressure on people), and also because this was flying around last week and weekend, and I'm probably the last one to do it. I have enjoyed reading other folks' lists, though.

Happy Friday!